IRAQI LETTER is a blog dedicated to news reports and viewpoints of Iraqi democrats and Left activists. It endeavours to cover important events and relevant activities of Iraqi democratic groups inside Iraq and abroad.
IRAQI LETTER hopes to contribute to a better understanding of the current complex and difficult situation in Iraq, and the multifaceted struggle of Iraqi democrats for a free, fully sovereign, unified, democratic and federal Iraq.

Wednesday, 11 December 2013

The Communist Clinic celebrated its 10th
anniversary with an event organized on 7 December 2013 in the party
headquarters in Andulus Square in central Baghdad.

Mohhammed Jassim al-Labban, member of the
party’s Political Bureau, addressed the meeting. The founder of the Communist
Clinic, Dr Muzaham Mubarak, also gave a speech. The meeting listened to
speeches of volunteers who had supported the work of the Clinic. The well-known
poet Nadhem al-Samawi recited a poem on the occasion.

The event was part of celebrations of the 80th
anniversary of the Iraqi Communist Party.

Iraqi Communist Party to contest parliamentary elections
under the Civil Democratic Alliance

The Iraqi Communist Party announced on 9
December that it will be contesting the forthcoming parliamentary elections in
April 2014 within the Civil Democratic Alliance. It pointed out that some political
blocs have failed with their sectarian plans and are now attempting to take
part in the elections underthe guise of
a “civil democratic” program.

Jassim al-Hilfi, member of the party’s
Political Bureau, said in a statement published by “Tareeq Al-Shaab” (People’s
Path), Iraqi CP’s daily newspaper, that the party “remains part of the
Democratic Current which took part In the provincial elections earlier this
year and won 11 seats.” He confirmed that the “Communist Party will contest the
parliamentary elections in April 2014 as part of the Civil Democratic Alliance,
against blocs whose sectarian plans have failed are trying once again to take
part in the elections under a civil democratic cover, but the essence of their thought
is sectarian.”

He said that the Civil Democratic Alliance
include the forces of the Democratic Current (such as the Communist Party, National
Democratic Part, Arab Socialist Movement, Democratic Action Party, Umma Party)
as well as the People’s Party, several other forces and independent figures. “These
democratic politicians have not been tarnished by corruption and shedding the
blood of Iraqis, and are known for their integrity, competence and support for
the ci,vil democratic alternative.

Raid Fahmi, member of the Political Bureau of
the Iraqi Communist Party, told “Shafaq News” agency that the Civil Democratic
Alliance is expected to do well in provinces in southern Iraq, including
Basrah, Thi Qar and Muthanna, as well as Baghdad, as it did in the provincial
elections.

The Communist Party had launched its 80th
anniversary celebrations last October in the city of Nasseriyah (in southern
Iraq) which had witnessed its beginnings. The party was founded on 31 March
1934. The program of the 80th anniversary celebrations includes many
political and cultural events in Baghdad and all over Iraq that will continue
well into 2014.

Saturday, 30 November 2013

The following
is an article by the Political Editor of “Tareeq Al-Shaab” (People’s Path), the
daily newspaper issued by the Iraqi Communist Party, in its edition on 28
November 2013.

Finally, the two sides, Iran and the
so-called P5+1 group of nations, have reached a deal over Iran's nuclear
program. As
a result, a serious danger that was threatening the region at any moment has
been removed. Some parties in the region, in the forefront of which is Israel ,
did all they can to prevent achieving this result which has came in the final
analysis in the interest of all the peoples of the region and serve their
stability and security. It has also spared them the dangers of an international
military conflict, especially since the region has still not recovered from the
wars that broke out on its territories. In
addition, the Palestinian issue remains inflamed as a result of Israel's
intransigence, arrogance and aggressiveness, continuing to deny the Palestinian
people the right to establish their state on the their own homeland.

What has been achieved in this deal
is not unrelated to the changes in Iran's presidency and the new approach of
opening up to the world, showing flexibility and giving precedence to the interests
of the of Iranian people, and the retreat of hardliners. But
it is also linked to a host of other developments and their repercussions on
the regional and international levels. It is important in this respect to point
to what is happening in Syria, and what is changing on the ground daily,
despite the undesirable widespread external intervention. The
interests of the Syrian people and their hopes for security, stability, free dignified
life and democracy remain meanwhile undecided.

It is obvious however that America
is unwilling to engage in new military conflicts in the region, especially
after its bitter experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq and the consequences and
tragedies they left behind. These wars have affected the American people
themselves, with a negative impact on their lives and standard of living
through massive military spending, high rates
of poverty and unemployment, the bitter struggle waged by Obama in order to
keep his health care program, and the disruption of the American state because
of a failure to approve the federal budget, while still suffering from inability
to overcome the consequences of its economic and financial crisis that has
extended to cover the capitalist world as a whole.

There is no doubt that the deal that has been achieved is a step in the
right direction. It is a welcome step that demonstrates the importance of
constructive dialogue, making reciprocal concessions, showing flexibility and
the adoption of peaceful and diplomatic solutions to existing problems whether
between countries or on the regional or international level. It is an
approach that responds to the interests of the peoples and spares them the
evils of wars and their tragedies.

All the parties concerned must ensure
the proper implementation of what has been agreed and adherence to the
prescribed timetable. The efforts by war hawks and advocates to inflame differences,
agitate and get things back to square one should be curbed.

All the countries in the region must
seize this moment and develop it for the benefit of the peoples of the region,
ensuring their development and right to choose their own political, economic
and social systems, in order to achieve security, peace and progress. In this
respect, the Iraqi government and its officials should make an effort in this
direction, seeking to establish balanced and equitable relations with neighboring
countries and the world, and to spare our country the dangers of foreign
interference in its affairs. Proper consideration should be given to the
possibilities and changes that may take place in the coming days regionally and
internationally. This is essential in order to preserve the unity of Iraq and
its social fabric, achieve security, stability and lasting peace, so as to
ensure the country’s reconstruction, progress and proper democratic
development.

Friday, 22 November 2013

The Central Committee of the Iraqi Communist Party Holds its Regular
Meeting

The Central Commission of the Iraqi Communist Party held its regular meeting on
Friday 8 November 2013, in Baghdad. The meeting coincided with the start of the
celebrations of party’s 80th anniversary. With a sense of great
pride and inspired by the rich significance and implications of this
anniversary, the meeting stressed the need to celebrate it and highlight the
role of the party at present and in future. It decided to issue a declaration
on this occasion that is dear to the hearts of Iraqi patriots and communists.

The meeting began with a minute of
silence in memory of the comrades and friends who passed away during the past
few months, and for the martyrs of our people and the victims of terrorism and
its crimes.

The
meeting discussed a report on the work and performance of the party, its
leading bodies, organizations and specialized committees. It considered the conferences
of the party’s provincial committees that have just been accomplished and
unanimously endorsed their outcome. It highly evaluated the successes that have
been achieved by communists’ relentless work and enthusiasm, and the
development of organizations, enhancing their role, dealing with loopholes and
shortcomings, and improving their performance. The meeting called for strengthening
ties with the people, taking up their demands, defending them and standing with
them to seize their rights. It called for urging and encouraging the people to
take part effectively in the forthcoming parliamentary elections, and to cast
their votes for the better, honest and capable candidates despite the
shortcomings in the new election law. The meeting considered this to be a big
challenge facing the civil and democratic parties and forces. It should be an
incentive to mobilize forces, ensure their coordination and cooperation, and
build their broad democratic civil alliance in order to gain seats in Parliament
and transform it into an additional platform for defending the rights of the
masses, serving the people and defending their interests and the supreme interests
of the homeland.

The
meeting considered the political developments in the country and the general
crisis which is grinding it and increasing the suffering of the people and
their legitimate concern for the future. The participants dealt with the manifestations
of the crisis and its multi-faceted consequences, especially the increasing
scale of terrorists’ operations in recent times, with their intensification and
extensive range, and the frantic efforts to stir up sectarian strife and fuel its
flames.

The
meeting stressed the country’s urgent need for serious reforms that would lead
to a change in approach, mentality and performance, and opens the way for rebuilding
the political process on a sound basis, getting rid of the sectarian-ethnic power-sharing
system, preserving the unity of the country and averting the pitfalls of
division and internal strife, leading to the establishment of a democratic civil
state and social justice.

The
meeting also considered the developments in the region, and in the world. It
saluted with pride the successes of peoples and their patriotic, democratic and
Left forces in building their regimes in accordance with their will, and the
establishment of societies enjoying development, progress, justice and
democracy.

Issued by the 15th
International Meeting of the Communist and Workers’ Parties

(Lisbon 8-10 November 2013)

The Communist and Workers’ Parties
meeting in Lisbon – Portugal, within the framework of their International
Meeting, consider that the Middle East area, and specifically the Arab region,
continues to constitute the principal target of the new offensive by
imperialist forces against all the peoples of the world, in a desperate attempt
to extricate themselves from their structural crisis in which they are mired,
through tightening control over the world, its wealth and markets. Imperialism,
led by the United States, and relying on NATO, is implementing a renewed old
plan, entitled the “New Middle East”. The aim of this plan is to undermine the
idea of the national state and transform the Arab world into a group of
dependent statelets that are fighting among themselves on religious, sectarian
and ethnic basis, so as to allow world capitalism to seize control of the
natural resources of the region, especially oil and gas.

The Communist and Workers’ Parties,
meeting in Lisbon – Portugal in the their 15th International
Meeting, while highlighting the need to confront this destructive plan, stress
the following:

First:Support for the uprisings and revolutions of the Arab peoples,
especially the revolutions of Egypt and Tunisia, in overthrowing dictatorial
and despotic regimes, for radical change, and getting rid of subservience to
imperialism, for liberating Arab land and natural resources. We also support
the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood and their allies among groups of
Political Islam that are supported by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and others
with the blessing of American imperialism and European Union.

Second:Stressing the pivotal position of the
Palestinian issue and support for the Palestinian people in confronting the
Zionist policies of aggression, building settlements and “Transfer” (the
expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland), and for the right of al refugees
to return and to establish their national state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Third:Solidarity with all Arab peoples in their struggle against imperialism
and the regimes of repression, despotism and dictatorship, especially Sudan,
Bahrain and Kuwait. We reject the political and military interference by
imperialism and Arab reaction in the internal affairs of these peoples,
especially the Syrian people. We express solidarity with the Iraqi people
against the sectarianism and terrorism. We support the resistance of the
Lebanese people against Israeli aggression.

Fourth:To prepare for an International Campaign
against imperialist military bases and build-up in the Gulf region and the
Eastern Mediterranean area, to be launched at the beginning of 2014, as a
starting point for campaigns that the International Meeting of Communist and
Workers’ Parties intends to organise on the 100th anniversary of the
First World War.